Les Misérables is quite possibly the
best novel based, turned musical play, turned film, ever. Alright, that might
be a bit of a small category area, but it’s still pretty damn good. It has
something for everyone and even the most masculine of people won’t be able to
help but enjoy this well told story.
Les Mis is a musical drama set in France
during the 19th century, which itself is a brilliant historical
place and time. The story follows a man named Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), an
ex-convict who breaks bail and is constantly on the run from a police officer called
Javert (Russell Crowe). During the film Valjean comes into contact with a range
of different people, spanning from prostitutes and convicts, to revolutionaries
and priests. Each one of them has a unique tale to tell about their lives, and
each one is gripping in its own way.
As you would expect with a musical
there is quite a lot of singing in this film. In fact, unlike most other
musical films, this story is almost 100% sung to us. At first it seems a little
strange, but after the first five minutes you kind of forget that it’s a
musical and you just find yourself engrossed in the character’s lives. Most of
the music, like most of the film, is really quite depressing. But you kind of
have to expect that in a film that is about the people at the bottom of society
in a time and place that was well and truly hard.
It’s not all doom and gloom though. Thénardier
(Sacha Baron Cohen) and his wife (Helena Bonham Carter) bring a comical element
to the film and just as you’re about to cry they will make you laugh. I
honestly think this is the best role Cohen has ever played. It’s like it was
written just for him.
That been said, every single actor played
their role perfectly and the acting really could not have been improved. It’s
even more impressive when you think that most of the main actors aren’t professional
singers. One actor that stood out for me though has to be the young Daniel
Huttlestone who plays Gavroche, a child soldier who is more than aware of his position
in society and is more than happy to do his part for the French revolution.
The only real complaint I have to make
about this film is that it did go on a little too long. Even for a brilliant
musical, 158 minutes is quite a long time. So even though there is something
for everyone in this film, it goes on for a while so you might be waiting
sometime between the parts that you enjoy. That been said though, I personally
enjoyed the entire thing, just some parts more than others. It’s still worth
sitting through and it is really only the ending that seems to drag a little.
THE
VERDICT
Les Misérables might turn out to be the
best musical you’ll have seen in recent memory. It is set in a period of French
history that was a really hard time to live in, and tells the story of one man
and those that he comes into contact with throughout his life. The music and
songs sang tell the story brilliantly and the acting is next to flawless. Even though
the film goes on for quite a long time, it is still one that could make you
shed a tear or two and will definitely make you laugh on occasion.
LHSRAting for Les Misérables 8/10
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